Reality TV star, author, and survivalist Bear Grylls recently checked off a bucket list item as he was baptized in the Jordan River, fulfilling what he called a lifelong “dream of mine.”

Grylls wrote in a post on X, “It had always been a dream of mine to get in the water that Jesus was baptized in by my hero, John the Baptist. The story is so amazing, [and] it seems wherever Jesus went, that new birth, new life, a new vision followed.” He went on to point his followers to the New Testament book of Luke, who “was probably a Syrian doctor before he met Jesus” and wrote “a reliable, poignant account of [Jesus’] life.”

The 49-year-old has always been open about his faith. During a years-old interview with CBN News, the TV personality said he “always had a really natural faith as a kid.” He said, “Where I knew God existed, and it felt very free and pretty wild and natural, and it wasn’t religious. Then I went to school, and suddenly, it all became much more religious, and I thought, ‘Oh, I don’t like this.’ It was all about churchgoing and telling you not to smoke behind the bike shed when you are age 12.”

It had always been a dream of mine to get in the water that Jesus was baptised in by my hero John the Baptist. The story is so amazing, & it seems wherever Jesus went, that new birth, new life, a new vision followed. Luke (in the bible) was probably a Syrian doctor before he met… pic.twitter.com/YwcEwL1ewh

— Bear Grylls OBE (@BearGrylls) October 2, 2023

Grylls explained that it wasn’t until age 16 that he developed a real relationship with Jesus. Then, Grylls lost his godfather, whom he described as “a second father to me.” He recalled, “His death came totally out of the blue, and it was a real shock to me. I remember wanting to pray but not knowing how to, and I remember sitting up in this tree and saying a very simple prayer that said, ‘Will You be that friend to me that You were when I was like five or six, and it felt natural? Amen.'”

He added, “And that was actually a prayer of finding a faith. And I think for life now, it’s still a continued journey of not letting too much of the religious stuff cloud the heart of faith that is very simple. It’s about being loved. It’s about being forgiven. It’s about finding a home. And those are great things that all of us need.”

As Christians, we are called to come together in community and fellowship with other believers to serve one another and seek accountability and discipleship. The author of Hebrews 10:24-25 wrote, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (ESV).

In James 5:16, the brother of Jesus wrote, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (ESV). Keep Bear Grylls in your prayers as he continues his walk with Jesus.